Yarn winding apparatus



May 28, .1968 w. c. SPARLING YARN WINDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Dec. 21, 1966 INVENTOR WAYNE CLIFFORD SPARLING l/vwmu/ ATTORNEYMay 28, 1968 w. c. SPARLING YARN WINDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Dec. 21, 1966 BY Howe/v.4 t ll/1A2 ATTORNEY May 28, 1968 w. c.SPARLING YARN WINDING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 21, 1966INVENTOR WAYNE CLIFFORD SPARLHIG BY NM ATTORNEY United States Patent3,385,532 YARN WINDING APPARATUS Wayne Clifford Sparling, Newark, Del.,assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., acorporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 603,520 6 Claims.(Cl. 242-18) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus having a movablebar with various guides for engaging the yarn type winding apparatus andmoving the yarn to a yarn severing means at the end of a rotatablewindup chuck and for guiding the yarn so as to wind a transfer tail overthe severed end of the yarn. The bar and guides are operated by aircylinder means which are actuated by a switch means which is in turnactuated by the support of the completed yarn package.

This invention relates generally to a winding apparatus and, moreparticularly, to the equipment with which yarn, advancing continuouslyfrom a source is wound on subcessive packages.

Windups which include a print or drive roll to which yarn advances froma reciprocating traverse guide and from which yarn is deposited on asurface driven package are widely used. To avoid Waste during dofifingsuch windups have been provided with a pair of rotatable chucksalternately movable into surface driven engagement with the drive rolland auxiliary equipment for accomplishing transfer of the yarn from afull to an empty support.

It is also known in the art to include a transfer tail in the initiallength of yarn wound on a support. The purpose in providing a transfertail on the yarn package is to enable an uninterrupted flow of yarn froma creel in textile processes by providing an end length of yarn that isfreely available for tying to the leading end of an adjacent package.

Equipment is available for winding yarn with transfer tails on packagesupports. The winding operation may be initiated by snagging the runningyarn in a surface groove on the support to secure the transfer tailthereto. In situations where the support is not provided with a stringupgroove various other means are used for securing the transfer tail. Forexample, the free end may be secured to the support by cement, tape ormechanical clips.

Although the known techniques are effective for holding the starting endof yarn securely in position on a yarn support the transfer tail is notreadily accessible when the time comes for tying the end of one packageto another package. Modifying a package support to include a stringupgroove increases the cost of the support and loosening a transfer tailthat has been cemented or taped is time consuming considering thisoperation requires both manual application and removal of the cement ortape. Both the modified package support and taping the yarn to thepackage are costly and it is highly desirable to eliminate the need foreither.

With this in mind, it is the primary objective of this invention toprovide an apparatus which in combination with a windup of the typedescribed will automatically secure a transfer tail to a support in amanner to overcome the above deficiencies. A more particular objectiveis to provide an apparatus which, in combination with a windup of thetype described, will automatically bring the yarn into engagement withsevering elements on a driven chuck while the yarn is still advancing toa full 3,385,532 Patented May 28, 1968 "ice package on the other chuckand initiate a wrap of yarn on the driven empty support which willoverlap the initial severed length of yarn adjacent its end.

The above objectives are achieved by providing an elongated barpositioned above the traverse guide and extending transversely behindthe yarn. The bar has a yarn engaging slot in one end and is normallypositioned so that the slot is in approximate alignment with thesevering element on the driven chuck. A hook normally positionedoutboard of and above the severing element on the driven chuck isconnected to the bar by a driven linkage that imparts simultaneousoscillatory movement to the hook and to the bar to and from a yarnengaging position. The driven linkage is operative at a predeterminedtime during the alternate movement of the chucks into and away fromdriven engagement with the drive roll.

Other objectives and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescriptions in which reference is made to the following drawingswherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial schematic side view showing the bar and hook withrespect to a windup;

FIG. 2 is a partial top view of FIG. 1 including a sectional schematicof the drive for the linkage;

FIG. 3 is a partial top view of FIG. 1 showing the operative position ofthe bar and hook; and

FIG. 4 is a partial view of the end of a package support showing asevered length of yarn secured by an overlapping yarn wrap.

Referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the windup chosen for purposesof illustration includes generally as components thereof a frame 10, apair of arms 12, 14 mounted for relative movement about a common pivot,rotatable chucks 16, 18 at the extremities of arms 12, 14, a drive roll20, a reciprocating traverse guide 22 through which yarn 24 advancesunder drive roll 20 to a package 26 on chuck 1-8, and a yarn transfermechanism 30. Package 26 is normally in surface contact with roll 20. Afanning guide 28- positions yarn 24 above traverse guide 22.

Immediately following the timed completion of package 26, arms 12, 14are rotated and as they approach the position shown in FIG. 1 transfermechanism 30 is actuated initiating a new package on support 32.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the yarn transfer mechanism 30 generallycomprises an elongated bar 46, a hook 49 and a guide 48 interconnectedby linkages and air cylinders 70, 71 mounted to the frame 10* abovedrive roll 20. Air cylinders 70, 71 are actuated in a timed sequence bymeans of solenoid valves 95 and 96 which in turn may be convenientlyactuated by a conventional clock timer 92 (FIG. 1). A micro switch 93when engaged by either arm 12 or 14 initiates operation of the timer. InFIG. 2, the yarn transfer mechanism 30 is shown in its normal ornon-operative position. The entire movable part of the mechanism 30 isheld in the rest position by means of air cylinder 70 the piston rod ofwhich is secured to a fixed block 79 which in turn is attached to aplate 78 which is secured to the frame 10. The body of the cylinder 70is maintained in the position shown in FIGURE 2 by the application ofpressurized air to port 70a, via solenoid operated, four-way valve 95'from a supply source 94. If the valve 95 is turned 90, air will beexhausted from the port 70a and pressure will be applied to the port70b, thus causing the body of the cylinder 70 to move downward.

Secured to the body of the cylinder 70 is a sliding block 80 which isprovided with elongated slots 81 which are engaged by fixed dowels 82secured to the plate 78. The block 80 is thus adapted to slide with thebody of the cylinder 70. On the opposite side of the block 80 andsecured thereto is the body of a cylinder 71 which is connected to afour-way solenoid operated valve 96. This valve is positioned to supplypressurized air to port 71a of the cylinder 71. If the valve 96 isturned 90, air will be exhausted from port 71a and supplied to port 71bthus driving the piston rod 710 of the cylinder 71 downward. Secured tothe end of the rod 710 is an L shaped actuating bar 88 the lower surfaceof which is in sliding engagement with the upper surface of the plate78. The actuating bar 88 may be moved by either or both of the cylinders70, 71. Secured to actuating bar 88 are a drive pin 76 and a pin 89 thefunction of which will be described hereinafter.

Yarn guide 48 is pivotally mounted to plate 78 at pivot 86. The yarnguide 48 carries an elbow pin 85 engaging a link 84 which is coupled tosliding block 80 by means of an anchor pin 83 all of the pinned jointsbeing capable of relative rotation. From the foregoing it will be seenthat downward movement of the cylinder 70 and the block 80 will causethe yarn guide 48 to swing counter clockwise (C.C.W.) about the fixedpivot 86. When the transfer mechanism is operated the guide 48 reachesthe (solid-line) position shown in FIG. 3.

Yarn hook 49 is pivotally mounted to guide 48 at pin 87. The yarn hook49 is coupled to actuating bar 88 by means of a link 96 and pins 89 and91, and normally occupies the position shown in FIG. 2. When valve 96 isrotated to admit air to the port 71b of cylinder 71 the yarn hook 49will be rotated C.C.W. about 90 (in respect to the yarn guide 48) andwill then occupy the (solidline) position shown in FIG. 3.

Situated generally parallel to the plate 78 and secured to frame is asmaller plate 78a in which is machined a cam slot 73. The upper part ofslot 73 is substantially parallel to and the lower part is curved towardthe longitudinal axes of cylinders 70, 71. Cam slot 73 is engaged by acam follower 74 which is secured to the upper end of a link 72. Link 72is pivotally joined intermediate its ends to actuating bar 88 by meansof drive pin 76. From this it will be seen that actuation of thecylinder 71, while causing the actuating bar 88 to move up or down willalso cause the lever 72 to move, thus driving the cam follower pin 74along the cam slot 73 with the further effect of causing the lever 72 topivot about the drive pin 76 when the cam follower pin 74 travels in thecurved portion of the cam slot.

The lever 72 extends beyond the drive pin 76, and at its lower end ispivotally joined by pivot 75 to a yarn cam plate 46. When it is in thenormal (dotted line) position shown in FIG. 3 the yarn-engaging edge 46bof the yarn cam plate 46 is substantially parallel to the axis of driveroll 20 (but is out of contact with any yarn) and is coextensive withthe path of yarn traverse. Cam plate 46 has a slot 46c in its one endwhere it is pivotally joined to the frame 10 by means of a pin 57 asshown in FIG. 3. Slot 46c enables the plate 46 to move end wise when thelever 72 pivots. In the end of cam plate 46, a yarn engaging slot 46ainterrupts edge 46b.

As may be seen in FIG. 3 with both of the cylinders at the limit oftheir downward positions; the yarn cam plate 46 occupies a position inwhich the yarn-engaging edge 46b of the plate is at an angle of about 20in respect to the axis of the drive roll 20 and extends across and abovea fixed guide 47 positioned above the yarn traverse guide 22. At itsunsupported end the guide 47 almost touches the yarn 24 and is parallelto the plane swept out by the traversing yarn for a distance equal toabout two-thirds of the traverse distance (or package length) at whichpoint the guide 47 angles away from the yarn for a short length beyondwhich it is again parallel to the plane swept by the traversing yarn.The guide 47 is supported by fixed brackets 69 which are secured to theunderside of the plate 78. An elongated guide 97 is positioned on frame10 between guide 47 and cam bar 4 46. Guide 97 extends transverselybehind yarn 24 and is substantially parallel to drive roll 20.

In operation, as arm 14 approaches the position shown in FIG. 1 itoperates switch 93 which initiates operation of the timer 92. The timerin turn energizes solenoid valves 95, 96 admitting air to ports 70b and71b of air cylinders 70, 71 which then drive the parts of the yarntransfer mechanism to the (solid line) position shown in FIG. 3.Although yarn guide 48 and yarn hook 49 reach the position shown in FIG.3, they do not initially contact the yarn.

As the cam plate 46 swings into its operative position, edge 46b engagesthe traversing yarn 24. If the yarn 24 is in the right hand portion ofits traverse stroke, it will be confined by guide 47 until it progressesto the angled intermediate length of guide 47 where it is lifted out ofengagement with the traverse guide 22 by the intrusion of edge 46b. Theyarn then follows edge 46b into slot 460 and follows new yarn path 24'.

1 Next air cylinder 71 is reversed by timed actuation of solenoid valve96 admitting air to port 71a driving actuating bar 88 to the dotted lineposition shown in FIG. 3. This also results in a simultaneous change tothe positions of yarn hook 49 and cam plate 46. As cam plate 46 iswithdrawn to the dotted line position the yarn strikes guide 97 and islifted free of slot 46a. As yarn book 49 swings clockwise with respectto guide 48, it engages yarn 24 beneath guide 48 carrying it into notch48a and into the path of the pointed tooth which defines slot 50 inchuck 27. The yarn is engaged by the pointed tooth and quickly severedby virtue of chuck rotation. At substantially the same time the yarn iscarried into slot 50 for severing, it is still in slot 46a and thesimultaneous leftward movement of cam bar 46 causes the yarn to bedeposited on the underside of drive roll 20 in a helical pathrepresented by the broken line 77 of FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4 thisresults in the printing of a warp of yarn 24 on the support 32 whichoverlies the first wrap very close to the point at which the yarn wassevered. The net effect is to bind the terminal end of the yarn to thesupport while still leaving it easily removable for purposes previouslydescribed. It is also to be. understood that when the yarn is releasedfrom slot 46a it resumes its substantially vertical path shown in FIG.land is picked up by traverse guide 22 whereupon normal winding of apackage begins.

- After cylinder 71 has reached its normal position, timer 92- actuatessolenoid 95 admitting air to port 70a of air cylinder 70 this results inthe withdrawal of the movable parts of the transfer mechanism 30 to thenormal position shown in FIG. 2.

-Changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the artwithout departure from the spirit of the invention which accordingly isintended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a winding apparatus of the type which includes a drive roll, apair of rotatable chucks and supports alternately movable into surfacedriven engagement with the drive roll, each chuck having a yarn snaringand severing element thereon, and a traverse guide through which yarnnormally advances around the drive roll to a package support on thedriven chuck, a device for initiating a wrap of yarn on the driven emptysupport which overlaps a severed length adjacent its end, said devicecomprising;

(a) an elongated bar normally positioned above said traverse guide andextending longitudinally of said support but spaced from said yarnnormally advancing through the traverse guide, said bar having a yarnengaging slot on one end, said slot being in proximal alignment withsaid element;

(b) means mounting said bar for movement to and from a position engagingand guiding said yarn to said slot; and

(c) motive means coupled to said mounting means for imparting saidmovement, said motive means being operative at a predetermined timeduring said alternate movement of said chucks.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein is provided an elongated guidepositioned between said traverse guide and said bar, said guideextending transversely in front of said yarn in proximal relationshipthereto.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 where said elongated guide has anintermediate length angularly disposed toward said yarn.

4. In a winding apparatus of the type which includes a drive roll, apair of rotatable chucks alternately movable into surface drivenengagement with the drive roll, each chuck having a yarn snaring andsevering element adjacent the support thereon and a traverse guidethrough which yarn normally advances around the drive roll to a packagesupport on the driven chuck, a device for automatically bringing theyarn into engagement with said element on the driven chuck for severingwhile it is still advancing to a full package on the other chuck andinitiating a wrap of yarn on the driven empty support which overlaps thesevered length adjacent its end, said device comprising:

(a) an elongated bar normally positioned above said traverse guide andextending transversely behind said yarn in proximal relationshipthereto, said bar extending longitudinally with said support and havinga yarn engaging slot on one end, said slot being in proximal alignmentwith said element;

(b) a hook normally positioned outwardly from and above said element inproximal relationship thereto;

(0) a linkage mechanism mounting said bar and said hook for simultaneousoscillatory movement of said bar and said hook to and from a yarnengaging position; and

(d) motive means coupled to said linkage mechanism for imparting saidoscillatory movement, said motive means being operative at apredetermined time during said alternate movement of said chucks.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 including a guide pivotally mounted to saidhook and coupled to said linkage mechanism for simultaneous oscillatorymovement with said bar and said hook, said guide having a yarn engagingnotch.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein there is provided an elongated guidepositioned between said traverse guide and said bar, said guideextending transversely in front of said yarn in proximal relationshipthereto and having an intermediate length angularly disposed toward saidyarn.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,296,339 9/ 1942 Daniels.2,772,054 11/1956 Herele et a1. 242l8 2,957,635 10/1960 Bisbe 242183,001,732 9/1961 Hill et al. 242-48 3,149,795 9/1964 Rhein 242-183,224,692 12/1965 Nugent. 3,276,704 10/1966 Pabis 242-48, 3,310,2473/1967 Emery 242-48 STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

